


The Air's Embrace (Never Felt So Real)

by Renee_Mariposa



Series: TROS alternate endings [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, No Beta, Physical Intimacy, Reylo - Freeform, erotic hand touch, nonsexual intimacy, rocks fall Ben lives, soft reylo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renee_Mariposa/pseuds/Renee_Mariposa
Summary: She never thought she’d miss the unending pressure of desert heat bearing down on her, crushing her into the sand, but after nearly shivering herself to death for - what, a year now? a hundred years? - in ships and humid jungles and sea-soaked wrecks, the dry heat is a real cocoon of comfort. Rey looks out over the patterns in the sand and breathes in the dry air deeply, exhales like she’s sinking into a comfortable chair. This might be the arse end of nowhere but it’s peaceful and quiet; that’s what she cares about right now.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Series: TROS alternate endings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630099
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	The Air's Embrace (Never Felt So Real)

**Author's Note:**

> The essential assumptions for this fix-it are: 1. Ben didn't Become One With The Force at the end, 2. Rey dragged his comatose body back to one of the ships, and 3. Rey goes to the Lars Homestead because Luke inherited it upon Owen and Beru's deaths and Rey needs a place to hide out and relax.
> 
> This isn't a necessarily a continuation of _We're Alive and Crying With Joy_ but it works well enough as an epilogue for it. What I _did_ intend is for this to be a balm after TROS's abysmal ending.

It’s a cloudy afternoon at the Lars homestead - Rey marvels at the shadows moving across the sand as she lazily explores the area around the house itself. Tatooine doesn’t seem to be as hot as Jakku, which is a pleasant surprise. She never thought she’d miss the unending pressure of desert heat bearing down on her, crushing her into the sand, but after nearly shivering herself to death for - what, a year now? a hundred years? - in ships and humid jungles and sea-soaked wrecks, the dry heat is a real cocoon of comfort. Rey looks out over the patterns in the sand and breathes in the dry air deeply, exhales like she’s sinking into a comfortable chair. This might be the arse end of nowhere but it’s peaceful and quiet; that’s what she cares about right now. She’ll be bored soon but right now it’s lovely.

Finally, when she can’t stand it anymore, she hikes back to the domes rising halfheartedly from the sand. She hasn’t had time to unearth the steps leading down to the living quarters so she slides down the slope on a makeshift sled, bathing for a moment in a wave of bitter nostalgia. It’s okay. She’s here now, marching forward with her head held high, and she never has to go back.

The homestead is drowning in sand but the ravages of time and nature have spared a few areas: the atrium is mostly clear, by some miracle, and the rooms farther underground are mostly accessible. In the shadow of one of the atrium walls rests a figure, pale as death, arms crossed peacefully across his body. He looks so still and a memory of pain crashes in her chest.

He doesn’t move as she approaches. She sits down on the edge of the cot and places her hand on his shoulder.

Ben takes a deep breath of wakefulness and drowsily opens his eyes, unconsciously doing some just-woke-up stretches and wincing at the pain. He focuses on her and the ghost of a smile moves across his face. He’s still so weak - still covered in cuts and bruises, still sleeping most of the day and night, still eating a cup of broth one spoonful at a time for every meal - but even in this state he seems to glow, radiating a nameless comfort she can’t describe. He looks younger, like a lifetime of anxieties have been lifted from him. She knows because she can feel it, too.

“Did you have a good nap?” she teases him, to watch his smile bloom. They picked this vantage point for his cot so he could be protected from most of the heat and still see the unending, gorgeous blue of the sky but he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from her. She knows this because she can’t stop looking at _him_ , breathless with the knowledge he’s _here_. He’s _real_. 

“Could do with a little more rest,” he rasps, voice unused from sleep, joking light dancing in his eyes.

“Not feeling the best, huh?” Rey quips, but at this he grows somber, gazing at her as if to memorize her face - as if looking away will make her disappear.

Finally, tears shining in his eyes, voice breaking the tiniest bit - “I’ve never felt better,” Ben confesses, light with helpless joy. It's heartbreaking to think about but she can feel how true it is. Even in this state - bruised and broken, aching so bad he whimpers faintly in his sleep sometimes, losing weight because he isn’t moving or eating enough - he’s his own man, now. He’s finally where he wants to be: _with you_ , his eyes say.

It’s like a fist reaching up and squeezing her heart - tears well up in her eyes and she’s laughing, too; crying with happiness, laughing through tears. After so long drowning in hunger - after the gasping, yawning chasm of being so alone for so long - _I’m here with you,_ her heart overflows, humming with it.

It’s going to take time for him to heal, but that’s okay. She knows all about waiting. They have the rest of their lives, after all.

“I think we should try me sitting up tomorrow,” Ben impishly changes the subject, interrupting her rumination, laboriously lifting a hand to wipe his eyes as if it weighs a ton.

Rey does her best to frown at him, but can only manage mild disapproval. “We tried three pillows yesterday and you lasted an hour.” Just a few days ago she’d had to steal an antigrav bed to get him into the ship and across the sand to the homestead.

“But that was yesterday," he rebuts blithely, eyes sparkling. "I really think the change of climate is helping.”

She pretends to think about it. “Fine,” she concedes laughingly. “Tomorrow you sit up. Today you stay there and enjoy the clouds.”

He moves his near hand towards her slightly - she doesn’t hesitate, taking his hand and weaving their fingers together. His hand dwarfs hers and it feels like the only weight keeping her from floating away with happiness. It still hasn’t gotten old, to be so close even in such a small way. She doesn’t know if it ever will. 

“You could stay here and enjoy the clouds with me,” Ben suggests with false nonchalance, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he watches for her reaction. When she doesn’t immediately shoot down the suggestion he manages to lift his other hand and pat the space next to him on the cot.

Frankly, there’s nothing in the world she’d like to do more. There are some things she needs to take care of - fix the burner in the kitchen so she can actually boil some water, for one - but that can wait for a bit. She gets up and carefully crawls along the wall, maneuvering herself into his side. He lifts his arm and she slides alongside him, her arm across his torso and her head on his shoulder. The sweater is just as soft as it looks. (He's _here_ , he's _real_...!) He lets his arm drop and in a small burst of strength, presses her to him briefly in a one-armed embrace.

“Is this okay?” he asks quietly. 

Rey has never been so okay in her entire life. “Absolutely,” she replies, and the two of them watch the clouds soar by.

**Author's Note:**

> Literally all I wanted from TROS was a maintaining or escalation of the intimacy from TLJ - I guess if you want a job done you have to do it yourself...
> 
> So I saw [this](https://corseque.tumblr.com/post/612588611506929664) (tumblr post) portion of the interview with Adam Driver on the HD version of TROS (apparently). I wrote this ficlet before I saw that clip but after seeing that clip, I realized: what Ben is glowing with in this story is hope


End file.
